20 Insane Items Smuggled Through Customs

20 INSANE ITEMS SMUGGLED THROUGH CUSTOMS A TIGER CUB BANGKOK IRAN Customs agents discovered a sedated two-month-old tiger cub in a suitcase full of stuffed animal toys when it went through an X-ray scan at Bangkok airport in Thailand in 2010. A 31-year-old women was attempting to smuggle the cub and sell it on the Iranian market. A CAST OF COCAINE CHILE BARCELONA A 66-year-old was wearing a cast on his leg because of two fractures below his knee. While the man had actually broken his leg in case authorities X-rayed it, the cast was made out of cocaine. He might have got away with it if he hadn't tried to smuggle more cocaine in his suitcase. A CORPSE MANCHESTER BERLIN A woman and her daughter were arrested when customs discovered that the woman's 91-year-old wheelchair-bound husband was actually dead. In an attempt to fool customs they covered his eyes with sunglasses and said they believed he was asleep. Ultimately the pair were arrested at Manchester airport but not charged. A HUMAN HEAD HAITI FLORIDA Custom officers found more than they expected in Florida: a head complete with hair, teeth and skin to keep away evil spirits in line with voodoo beliefs. A woman was charged with smuggling the human head into the U.S. but her sentence was reduced to a two year probationary period. MONKEYS IN A MAN'S TROUSERS THAILAND LOS ANGELES LA custom officers opened a man's bag in 2002 after he returned from Thailand, causing a tropical bird to fly out. In the end they found three more birds, 50 rare orchids and two pygmy monkeys carried in his trousers. The man received a 57-day jail sentence, while the monkeys were taken to LA Zoo. A CROCODILE INTERNAL FLIGHT CONGO (DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF) One smuggler was successful in boarding a small propeller plane with a crocodile in his bag. Unfortunately, it crawled out, causing the crew and passengers to move to the front of the plane. The redistribution of weight caused the pilot to lose control and the plane crashed killing 20 of the 21 passengers. ANOTHER IDENTITY HONG KONG CANADA An elderly man boarded a plane in Hong Kong, only to emerge in Canada as a young Asian male. Using a silicone face and neck mask to disguise himself as an older Caucasian passenger, the man went to the toilet during the flight and returned as a much younger man. He was later arrested by authorities. A WOMAN U.S.-MEXICO BORDER MEXICO In 2013, a 48-year-old woman was discovered in a suitcase by U.S. customs officers. The woman, originally from Thailand, was hoping to be smuggled across the U.S. - Mexico border in a suitcase located in the boot of a car, after previously being deported. A CHAINSAW INTERNAL FLIGHT NEW YORK In 2012, a chainsaw was taken through New York customs, pre-filled with petrol. More surprisingly the owner was eventually able to board the plane with the chainsaw, but without the petrol which was confiscated. A ROCKET LAUNCHER INTERNAL FLIGHT NEW YORK A rocket launcher was found in a checked bag at an airport in 2012. Apparently, the rocket launcher had been expended and posed no threat. While it may have been safe, it obviously caused quite a commotion for customs officers! TEXAN-STYLE ARMADILLO TEXAS AUSTRALIA In 2004, in true Texas style, a cowboy-dressed, gun-toting stuffed armadillo was sent to Australia from Texas as a gift. Unfortunately, the stuffed animal's journey stopped at Sydney for breaching Australia's incredibly strict importation laws. TWO $100,000 BILLS SOUTH KOREA NEW YORK One passenger from South Korea was stopped by officials at an airport in New York in 2009 after it emerged that he was carrying two 100,000 dollar bills. The very rare notes were only printed in 1934 and never entered general circulation. It later turned out the notes were fake. THREE LAND MINES NEW JERSEY SAN FRANCISCO Customs officers found three land mines in a woman's baggage at an airport in New Jersey in 2012. The woman was travelling to an explosives demonstration in San Francisco, and despite missing her first flight, she was later allowed to board another flight but without the deactivated land mines. 5-MONTH-OLD BABY UNITED EGYPT ARAB EMIRATES Two parents were caught attempting to smuggle their 5-month-old baby in their hand luggage in 2012. The baby was flagged up by X-ray scanners, after being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. The parents had hidden the child because they lacked the correct visa and in turn were charged. EGYPTIAN TREASURES SPAIN MIAMI In 2008, a 3,000-year-old wooden Egyptian sarcophagus was seized while travelling from Spain to Miami. The head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities went to the States to save the casket and the artefact was returned to Egypt, where it had been stolen over a century earlier. HUMAN FLESH PILLS CHINA SOUTH KOREA One of the more gruesome finds by South Korean customs officers have been pills filled with powdered human baby flesh. Officers seized thousands of the drug capsules, which some believe can cure disease. A CHAMELEON DUBAI MANCHESTER In 2002, a 17-year-old travelled from Dubai to Manchester Airport with a chameleon perched on her head. She had attempted to smuggle her pet lizard into the UK by wearing it as a hat. Unbelievably, she managed to get to Manchester where security spotted fellow passengers taking pictures of the creature. 1,000 TARANTULAS RIO DE JANEIRO UNITED KINGDOM A London pet shop owner was stopped in Rio de Janeiro when security ran his bags through the X-ray machine and noticed inside his bag he had 1,000 boxed tarantulas. It is thought he either brought the spiders back to sell at his store or that he had some involvement in medicinal poison extraction. HORSE IN A DOG CAGE GERMANY ATLANTA When animals are smuggled, it's often the smaller species that are taken advantage of, but for this particular smuggler that didn't seem to be the case. Customs officers were surprised when they found one of the dog cages unusually full - the reason being someone had stuffed a miniature horse inside. FALCON EGGS BIRMINGHAM DUBAI A 48-year-old man tried to smuggle 14 rare Peregrine falcon eggs through Birmingham airport to hatch at a later date. The eggs are worth up to €70,000 and were to be sold to a businessman in Dubai. He was jailed for 30 months for trying to export them and for illegally stealing them from a nest in the mountains. SOURCES + REFERENCES MyOffers telegraph.co.uk governmentattic.org australia.gov.au www.MYOFFERS.CO.UK shiplilly.com travelinsurance.org A